Ivan Leko took stock of his core at a press conference before hosting Charleroi. The Standard coach is aware of this: taking the three points will be a real obligation for the Rouches.
Ivan Leko and his group had two weeks to recover from the setback conceded to Anderlecht. During the international break, Isaac Price scored a hat-trick for Northern Ireland, Aiden O’Neill missed Australia’s second match due to illness, Mohamed Badamosi played for Gambia, not Matthieu Epolo with the Diablotins, Nathan Ngoy relapsed, Marlon Fossey also injured his knee and, at the academy, Souleyman Doumbia came closer to a return to the group.
At a press conference this Friday, two days before the reception in Charleroi, the Croatian T1 took stock of its core and the available players. “Bolingoli is out, it’s difficult for Doumbia and Djukanovic. They did two or three training sessions, partially, but that’s it. Marlon Fossey came back injured, but is training. A decision will be taken in consultation with the staff medical in the interest of the club and the player He is an indisputable starter for me and a player of the American national team, that says a lot about him.
Ivan Leko confirms the injury of Nathan Ngoy, who will miss the next Standard matches
That’s not all. Ivan Leko will also be without Nathan Ngoy for several weeks. “It’s difficult for him. As I said before, in terms of potential, he’s our best central defender. He’s a player that everyone would want, very nice, professional, intelligent. He understands the situation, it’s a shame not to be able to find continuity against Louvain and Dender, he was among our best players. Having this bad experience could be positive for his future.
It is in this situation that Standard, eleventh, will have to win against Charleroi, ninth, to avoid seriously seeing the red zone get closer. “The pressure is there for all the teams. By winning two games, we get closer to the podium. By losing two games, we are close to the red zone. It will be an important match for everyone, the team that wins will have the opportunity to look a little more upwards, the other will have to look lower.”
Always with the same key word: efficiency. “In the last matches, our performances were good, not our results. At the start of the season, it was quite the opposite. We now have to find how to combine the two, and that can only be done with the help of work and concentration.”
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